Process and agent for cleaning natural and synthetic fibres



zsszms PROCESS AGENT roR CLEANING NATURA AND SYNTHETIC FIBRES ArpadBoer, Buenos' Aires, Argentina, assigngr to Bancroft-Brillotex,International S.A., Montevideo, Uruguay, a corporation of Uruguay d a NoDrawing. Filed Dec. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 703,267

4 Claims. (Cl. 134-7) States Patent and then by tests conducted underpractical conditions,

may be considered as ideal due to the detersive action.

This invention deals with the employment, as a detergent substance, ofaflour, bran or a milling product of grains of-all kinds and especiallyof cereals or farinaceous seeds which, milled in a grade greater thanthat of rapidity of its impalpability, but smaller than that ofgranulated, acquire a special adherent .power for wool or 'fibre greasewhich is submitted to cleaning; the detergent having a specialactivityprincipally dueto'its absorbing and adsorbing power on the waxyor other contaminant substances accompanying these fibres.

The reason why cereals act thus is deduced by the extraordinaryhygroscopicity of theseed when it has been crumbled, for, as it has beenproved, when they are crumbled and subdivided, each of its facesrepresents an absorbing surface of great hygroscopic power; and if tothis is added'the rasping action effected by the scale of the resultingcrumbling of the film which covers the pulp,'the conclusion reached isthat the detergent function is-complete, so much so that if thedetergent powder is put in intimate contact with the wool or otherfibres,

Worthy of comment is the consequence which results from the process sothat industrially it is economical and practical, for the grease notbeing harmful for animals, after the cereal powder has performed itsaction, it is perfectly usable as food forpoultry, swine, cattle, etc,which means that if bran or rniddlingsvare employed, being the residueof the milling, after being prepared in particles greater thanimpalp-able flour and smaller than the granulated type, the detergentdoes not represent any expense whatsoever in the industrial developmentas it is fully recuperated, with the advantage of offering it to animalswith a greater feeding power.

0n the other hand, if dealing with the cleaning of wool and the lanolineis to beprofitably used, there is no 2,982,676 retreated Ma 2, 1961 icedifiiculty, in doing so, for with solvents the same may be easilyextracted without affecting the powdered material which may again beused in thecleaning process, or else destined for the feeding ofanimals. j

Apart from what has been stated, there are several objects attained bythe present invention, amongst which may be stated the fact of obtaininga complete cleaning, resulting in the whitening or natural color of thewoo or fibres submitted tothe process; 1

Another object of the invention is that of being able to condition thefibres at the same time that the cleaning takes place, for due tofriction in contact with the detergent powder, rollers or tract-ionbands can be employed resulting in parallel orientation of the filamentsafter this operation. 3

Another object is that of cleaning in a dry state, without the detergentpowder employed representing a danger to the health of the workmenemployed in this task, for even if said powder may remain in suspensionwithin the working space, the same is, inoffensive to the'respira-toryorgans. I

The other objects of this invention will be shown throughout thedevelopment of the same, whilst for greater clearness the followingnon-limitative examples are given below: 1 Example I The dirty wool orhair of the animal is opened or carded by the usual means, eliminatingas for as possible all the loose earth it may contain. 7

Previously, a detergent powder is prepared from seeds or grains,especially those of cereals such as wheat, maize, barley,.rye, oats,rice,.etc'. Said powder is ground as a grain which is of greater sizethan an impalpable powder, but of smaller size than a granulatedmaterial, which means that it is a perfectly palpable powder.

With this detergent material the wool or'fibres are treated, submittingthem to a vigorous friction, so that due to. its absorptive oradsorptive' power the powder collects the grease in a progressive mannerin order to carry out its detersive function.

5 In spite of the fact that the treatment is eifected with palpablegrains and notwithstanding the presence of starch or flours, no passingof the detergent powder with the Wool or fibres treated occurs,which'means that with beatings, blowings, aspirations or other violentmeans, the used .powder may be easily, eliminated so as to leave thefibres white or in their natural color. l

Example II v d A detergent powder ispreparedfrom cereals, exceptingstarch, in such a manner that there remains only the bran and otherparticles resulting from the crumbling of the grains. 1

Said bran, considered as sub-products of cereals, is milled or sifted soas to obtain small scales or particles somewhat greater in .size than animpalpable flour, but smaller than the granulated grain.

Under these conditions the detergent powder is mixed with the wool oranimal hair so that through friction and rubbing in a repeated process,the complete extraction of grease is obtained, until the fibres areperfectly clean and in their natural color after removal of the powderwhich may be recuperated or destined for animal consumption. a ExampleII] By carding means the wool is opened and defibred to its maximumgrade until it acquires the character of a tergent powder must be basedon seeds or grains, especially of cereals, milled to a size greater thanimpalpable but smaller than granulated.

Mixed with said material the fibres are submitted to a rubbing 'which'is repeated through friction elements. When this cleaning processis'complete, the fibres are submitted to beatings, blowings oraspiration to remove the powder, the fibres remaining perfectly clean.

Example IV A detergent powder is prepared from seeds or grains,especially those of cereals sueh' as wheat, maize, barley, rye, oats,rice, etc. I Said powder is ground as a grain which is larger than animpalpable powder, but of a lesser size than granulated, which meansthat it is a perfectly palpable powder.

Cotton waste was sorted to free it of its non-fibrous materials; thenon-ferrous materials were removed by hand while magnets were used toremove ferrous type materials.

The detergent powder is mixed with the cotton waste on one or more ofthe following: an opener, picker, card or garnett; so that throughfriction and rubbing the grease is extracted, leaving the cotton wastein perfectly clean condition.

The detergent powder is recovered and is reused several times.

' Example V Linen waste is treated as in Example IV with satisfactor-ygrease removal.

Example VI Jute waste is treated as in Example IV with satisfactorygrease removal.

. Example V Il Regenerated cellulose rayon waste is treated as inExample IV with satisfactory grease removal.

. 4 .f' and subsequently moving the mass of the dirty fibres andcleaning agent and progressively pulling the individual fibreslengthwise of each other throughout the mass while orienting the fibresparallel to the direction of movement so as to rub them and the cerealparticles against each other.

2. The process of cleaning :and orienting a random mass of dirty fibreswhich comprises formingthe fibres into a continuous batt, mixing thedirty fibres a cleaning agent consisting essentially of cereal grains inthe form of palpable particles of dimensions larger than impalpable butsmaller than granulate and subsequently moving the batt of the dirtyfibres and cleaning agent and progressivelypulling theindividual'fi-bres. lengthwise cf each other throughout thebatt whileorienting the fibres parallel to the direction of movement so as to rubthem and the cereal particles against each other.

3. The process of cleaning and orienting a random mass of dirty fibreswhich comprises forming a 'thin' veil of thed-irty fibres, mixing withthe dirty fibres a cleaning agent consisting essentially of cerealgrains in the form of palpable particles of dimensionslarger thanimpalpa-ble but smaller than granulate and subsequently moving the veilof the dirty fibres and cleaning agent and progressively pulling theindividual fibres lengthwise of each other throughout the veil whileorienting the fibres parallel to the direction of movement so as to-rubthem and-the cereal particles against each other.

4. The process of cleaning and orienting a random mass of dirty fibreswhich comprises mixing with the dirty fibres a cleaning agent consistingessentially of cereal grains in the form of palpable particles ofdimensions larger'than impalpable but smaller than granulate which willadsorb and absorb the dirt from the fibres and subsequently moving themass of the dirty fibres and cleaning agent and progressively pullingthe-individ- The process of the invention is equally applicable tospinning room sweeps, card sweeps and weaving room sweeps, as well asmixtures of any of the fibres and wastes herein named.

The present application is a continuation'in-part of ual fibreslengthwise of each other throughout the mass while orientingt'he fibresparallel to the direction of movement so as to rub them'and-the cerealparticles against each other and-causing the cereal particles to adsorband absorb the dirt from the fibres and then forcibly removing thepalpable particles 'with their adsorbed and absorbed dirt. i

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,824,105 Truax Sept, 22, 1931 2,384,458 Dubay Sept. 11, 1945 2,462,982MacCleanetal Mar. 1,1949

FOREIGN PATENTS I 24,856 Great Britain Feb; 20, 1901

1. THE PROCESS OF CLEANING AND ORIENTING A RANDOM MASS OF DIRTY FIBRESWHICH COMPRISES MIXING WITH THE DIRTY FIBRES A CLEANING AGENT CONSISTINGESSENTIALLY OF CEREAL GRAINS IN THE FORM OF PALPABLE PARTICLES OFDIMENSIONS LARGER THAN IMPALPABLE BUT SMALLER THAN GRANULATE ANDSUBSEQUENTLY MOVING THE MASS OF THE DIRTY FIBRES AND CLEANING AGENT ANDPROGRESSIVELY PULLING THE INDIVIDUAL FIBRES LENGTHWISE OF EACH OTHERTHROUGHOUT THE MASS WHILE ORIENTING THE FIBRES PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTIONOF MOVEMENT SO AS TO RUB THEM AND THE CEREAL PARTICLES AGAINST EACHOTHER.